Chrysanthemum plant named &#39;Zanmupizza&#39;

ABSTRACT

A  chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Zanmupizza’ characterized by its medium sized blooms with purple ray florets and prolific branching; natural season flowering date September 9-13 (week 37); blooming for a period of 5 weeks.

BOTANICAL DESIGNATION

Chrysanthemum×morifolium Ramat.

CULTIVAR DENOMINATION

‘Zanmupizza’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofchrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifoliumRamat., commercially known as a garden mum, and hereinafter referred toby the cultivar denomination ‘Zanmupizza’. ‘Zanmupizza’ is a product ofa breeding and selection program for outdoor pot mums (garden mums)which had the objective of creating new cultivars with a double typeinflorescence, a natural season flower date around week 37, blooming fora period of 5 weeks. ‘Zanmupizza’ is a seedling resulting from a crossof the female parent id 30608 with the male parent id 22173. Plants ofthe new cultivar ‘Zanmupizza’ differ from plants of its parent in rayfloret color. The ray florets of the seedling are purple, while they arered in the female parent and light pink in the male parent. The new anddistinct cultivar was discovered and selected as a flowering plant byHenricus Cornelius Maria Jacobs on a cultivated field in Rijsenhout, TheNetherlands in 2008. The first act of asexual production of ‘Zanmupizza’was accomplished when vegetative cuttings from the initial selection in2008 were propagated further in a controlled environment in Rijsenhout,The Netherlands. The new cultivar has been found to retain itsdistinctive characteristics through successive propagations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention of a new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum (ofabout 16 weeks) is shown in the accompanying drawings, the color beingas nearly true as possible with color photographs of this type.

FIG. 1 shows a plant of the cultivar in full bloom.

FIG. 2 shows the various stages of bloom of the new cultivar.

FIG. 3 shows the various stages of foliage of the new cultivar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The observations and measurements were gathered from plants grown outdoor in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands under natural day length andtemperature and planted in week 23 in 2013 (with a warm summer),receiving drip irrigation. The natural blooming date of this crop wasSeptember 9 -13 (week 37). The average height of the plants was 30 cm.No growth retardants were used. No tests were done on disease or insectresistance or susceptibility. No tests were done on cold or droughttolerance. This new variety produces medium sized blooms with purple rayflorets blooming for a period of 5 weeks.

From the cultivars known to inventor the most similar existing cultivarin comparison to ‘Zanmupizza’ are ‘Venus’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,378)and ‘Delphires’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,478). When ‘Venus’, ‘Dephires’and ‘Zanmupizza’ are being compared the following differences arenoticed (1). Natural season flower date. And (2). Inflorescence size.(1). Plants of ‘Venus’ and ‘Delphires’ flower earlier in the season thanplants of ‘Zanmupizza. (2). Inflorescences of ‘Venus’ and ‘Delphires’are larger than those of ‘Zanmupizza’.

The following is a description of the plant and characteristics thatdistinguish ‘Zanmupizza’ as a new and distinct variety.

The color designations are taken from the plant itself. Accordingly, anydiscrepancies between the color designations and the colors depicted inthe photographs are due to photographic tolerances. The color chart usedin this description is: The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,edition 2001.

TABLE 1 Botanical Description of Chrysanthemum × morifolium Ramat.‘Zanmupizza’ Bud Size: Small; cross-section 7 mm, height 4 mm Shape:Round Texture: Pubescent Outside color: Greyed-green 191A PhyllariesNumber: 21, arranged in 3 rows Shape: Elliptic Apex: Acute Base:Truncate Margin: Entire Color: Upper side: Green 141B Lower side: Green138B Length and width: 4-5 mm; 2 mm Texture: Pubescent InflorescencesType: Double Height: 1.8 cm Diameter: 4.3-4.5 cm Peduncle length: 8-12cm Peduncle color: Green 138C Peduncle diameter: 1.5-2 mm Peduncletexture: Pubescent Number per branch: About. 5 inflorescences Durationof flowering: 5 weeks Seeds: Produced in small quantities, ovate,Greyed-brown 199A, length 1.5 mm, diameter 0.5 mm Fragrance:Faint chrysanthemum odor Color inflorescences Center of inflorescence:Immature stage: Purple N79A; Mature stage: Purple N79A Color of upperside of ray florets: Red-purple 72A Color of lower side of ray florets:Purple N77B Tonality from distance: A garden mum with purple decorativeblooms Color of ray florets after aging of the plant: Greyed Purple 186ARay florets Texture: Upper and lower side smooth Number: 160-180 Shape:Elliptic Apex: Dentate Base: Attenuate Cross-section: Flat Longitudinalaxis: Straight Length of corolla tube: 3 mm Ray floret margin: EntireRay floret length: 1.5-2.2 cm Ray floret width: 2-8 mm Ratiolength/width: Medium Disc florets absent Receptacle Color: Yellow-green145D Shape: Conical raised Height: 4 mm Diameter: 3 mm ReproductiveOrgans Androecium: Absent Pollen: Absent Gynoecium: Present on rayflorets Style color: Yellow-green 154C Style length: 4 mm Stigma color:Yellow 7A Stigma width: 1 mm Ovary: Enclosed in calyx Plant Form: Grownas a spray type pot mum, outdoor raised and mounded Growth habit:Spherical shape Growth rate: Medium Height: 30 cm Width: 50 cm Stemcolor: Greyed-brown 199A Stem strength: Strong Stem brittleness: Notbrittle Stem anthocyanin coloration: present, streaks of Greyed-red 178BInternode length: 1-2.5 cm Length of lateral branch: From top to bottom20-22.cm Lateral branch color: Green 137 C Lateral branch, attachment:Strong Lateral branch diameter: 3 mm Branching (average number Prolificwith 8 breaks after pinching of lateral branches): Natural seasonblooming date: September 9-13 (week 37) Foliage Leaf color: Upper side:Green 139 A-B Lower side: Green 138A Color midvein: Upper side:Yellow-green 147D Lower side: Yellow-green 148D Size: Small; length 3-5cm, width 1.4-2 cm Quantity (number per lateral branches): 20-22 Shape:Elliptic Texture upper side: Sparsely pubescent Texture under side:Pubescent Venation arrangement: Palmate Shape of margin: Serrated Shapeof base of sinus between lateral lobes: Rounded Margin of sinus betweenlateral lobes: Diverging Shape of base: Acute Apex: Mucronulate Petiolelength: 1-4 cm Petiole diameter: 15-25 mm Petiole color: Yellow-green147D

TABLE 2 Differences with the comparison varieties, when grown underidentical conditions ‘Zanmumipizza’ ‘Venus’ ‘Delphires’ Natural seasonweek 37 week 35 week 35 flowering date Inflorescence size 4.3-4.5 cm5-5.5 cm 4.5-5.5 cm

I Claim:
 1. A new and distinct chrysanthemum plant named ‘Zanmupizza’ asdescribed and illustrated.